The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it may be described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at The time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present technology.
Conventional two dimensional battery architectures employ discrete, typically planar anode and cathode layers separated by electrolyte, with active ions traveling in a single direction from anode to cathode during discharge. Three dimensional (3-D) battery architectures, where the cathode surrounds, or is interspersed with, the anode, involve active ion travel in many or all directions during discharge. Such 3-D architectures have the potential to minimize cell dead space, and increase energy density and power density.
Li-ion batteries are the current state of the art in many applications for secondary batteries, including in personal electronics and automotive vehicles. Magnesium batteries have the potential to supplant Li-ion batteries, based on high volumetric capacity, a greatly diminished capacity to form anodic dendrites, and decreased expense resulting from the natural abundance of magnesium.
3-D battery designs have been reported for Li-ion batteries, but not for magnesium batteries. In particular, preparation of 3-D magnesium anodes, suitable electrolytes, and cathodes have not been developed. Accordingly, it would be desirable to develop 3-D battery systems for magnesium batteries.